Still no deal over electricity in Štrpce

Serbs from Strpce have failed to reach an agreement with the Kosovo Electric Corporation (KEK) for restoring the electricity, cut off since June 30. Although everything was prepared for the 12,000 Serbs and about 3,500 Albanians in this Kosovo municipality to finally be reconnected, KEK demanded to get full control of the administrative building along with the keys of the substation that belongs to Serbian state power company EPS. Still no deal over electricity in Strpce According to Serbs in Strpce, after the agreement with KEK for all households to pay the installment of EUR 26, KEK has made new demands. “The agreement that was made was not respected by KEK. They received the keys of the substation but they gave them back right away because they want the keys of the administrative building. This is another ultimatum that we cannot agree to and it fell through. The KEK workers and their administration returned to their homes,” Municipal Assembly President Bojan Savic said. KEK Regional Director Izet Rusiti said that there will be "no electricity without the administrative building". “I received a letter that the municipal president signed a demand and this agreement for us to come to get the keys for entering the substation. But they will not give us the keys and they told as that we cannot enter,” Rusiti was quoted as saying. For the first ten days of the power crisis in the village, residents were under heavy restrictions, having electricity only between midnight and seven in the morning. But they have been completely cut off since July 11. State Secretary with the Ministry for Kosovo Zvonimir Stevic said that Belgrade is doing everything to get the electricity back for the people of this region. He said that it is not by accident that Brezovica and Strpce are in an alarming situation because new demands are being made every day to them which are not being made in any other Serb communities. Stevic said that Belgrade sent a solution to the problem to the international community and is waiting for a reply. Yesterday, another state secretary, Oliver Ivanovic, stated that the issue of agreement over power deliveries to Strpce is within jurisdiction of the local self-government, and stressed that it is up to the municipal president to reach it. Ivanovic said in a statement for Tanjug that all municipal presidents are empowered to agree on best possible conditions in direct talks with KEK, adding that agreements were signed with other municipalities of the Kosovo-Pomoravlje district.

Still no deal over electricity in Štrpce

According to Serbs in Štrpce, after the agreement with KEK for all households to pay the installment of EUR 26, KEK has made new demands.

“The agreement that was made was not respected by KEK. They received the keys of the substation but they gave them back right away because they want the keys of the administrative building. This is another ultimatum that we cannot agree to and it fell through. The KEK workers and their administration returned to their homes,” Municipal Assembly President Bojan Savić said.

KEK Regional Director Izet Rusiti said that there will be "no electricity without the administrative building".

“I received a letter that the municipal president signed a demand and this agreement for us to come to get the keys for entering the substation. But they will not give us the keys and they told as that we cannot enter,” Rusiti was quoted as saying.

For the first ten days of the power crisis in the village, residents were under heavy restrictions, having electricity only between midnight and seven in the morning. But they have been completely cut off since July 11.

State Secretary with the Ministry for Kosovo Zvonimir Stević said that Belgrade is doing everything to get the electricity back for the people of this region.

He said that it is not by accident that Brezovica and Štrpce are in an alarming situation because new demands are being made every day to them which are not being made in any other Serb communities.

Stević said that Belgrade sent a solution to the problem to the international community and is waiting for a reply.

Yesterday, another state secretary, Oliver Ivanović, stated that the issue of agreement over power deliveries to Štrpce is within jurisdiction of the local self-government, and stressed that it is up to the municipal president to reach it.

Ivanović said in a statement for Tanjug that all municipal presidents are empowered to agree on best possible conditions in direct talks with KEK, adding that agreements were signed with other municipalities of the Kosovo-Pomoravlje district.